The Floating World
by spiritgununicorn
Summary: It is hard to be a fabulous courtesan; trained year after year in the arts of the elegant Eden Court. However, it is harder to fall in love with a supposed enemy in a similar profession in a world where love is not a priority but only a distraction. Completely and shamelessly AU.
1. Chapter 1: Shifting Childhood

Title: The Floating World

Rating: M

Series: Final Fantasy XIII/XIII-2

Summary: It is hard to be a fabulous courtesan; trained year after year in the arts of the elegant Eden Court. However, it is harder to fall in love with a supposed enemy in a similar profession in a world where love is not a priority but only a distraction.

Disclaimer: I do own a copy of the video game from which I borrowed the characters; but I do not own that concept. I also do not own the history that I decided to base this on. Imagine if I could own a piece of history that was not of my own life? Thrilling.

Notes: The term "floating world" is also known as ukiyo-e in Japanese. I am trying to do my best with a historically accurate (or somewhat accurate) portrayal of courtesans and prostitutes in Edo, Japan. Obviously some things will be twisted to fit the grand scheme of the fan fiction and yes, honorifics will be used because it makes my life a whole lot easier and makes it a little bit more presentable and easy. I won't be sliding in any other Japanese words if they are absolutely unnecessary.

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Chapter One: Shifting Childhood

Life is nothing but a sea of possibilities and their outcomes. At least, that is what my life felt like, more or less. I had no real say in any of the possibilities nor in the outcomes for everything was chosen for me, because of me. A person could question my motives, try to understand my misgivings and attentions, but there is nothing I could have said that would explain it all in a greater detail.

That is to say, until now when I can recollect all my memories and tell my story.

My original name is Claire Farron. It was my birth name, bestowed upon me by my mother as she heard it mentioned drifting in the air like smoke in the wind. It was a fleeting experience, but the reaction she had to it was almost instantaneous, or so she used to tell me. The name sounded beautiful to her ears, reminding her of a shimmering crystal held up to the light with not a single imperfection to mar its beauty. The only way for her to hear such a name is if she were in an area not far from where I was sold from, where our home was: Bodhum.

It was a tiny little place, a small village actually. It was on the coast of our brilliant world ironically named Cocoon. I say it is ironic because that is exactly what it felt like: a cocoon that trapped me in its bindings and I had no choice but to be wrapped up forevermore. I could not hate it, because that would mean I would hate myself, my parents, and even my younger sister Serah, who was just as trapped I was.

Our parents were taken from us when I was seven and she was only four. The accident was swift as it was brutal, and I do not believe I have ever recovered from the nightmare of seeing my parents' hands clasped tightly with their eyes wide open with the loss of life. I remember tears cascading down my face without a single sound, and holding Serah as she tried to shake them awake. There was no way that I was able to explain what death was to a mere four year old, as that was the first time I had experienced it myself. I stared at my parents' bodies long and hard, making sure that they would etch themselves into my mind as the sirens blared ever closer to us. We were in a cart accident, my parents were run over as two of them collided with one another and they pushed my sister and I out of the way. We had no time to spare as I watched the wheels pummel them with their hands joined; I remember covering Serah's eyes so she couldn't see the brutality of it all.

Just as quick as it happened, it ended, and then we were pried apart. We struggled against the arms that bound us to them, tugging us at opposite ends to gods know where. I did not want to let go of my sister Serah, but we were both so young and unequipped to fight against any of the elders that tried to tear us apart. Soon, I was turned around; my arms roughly tugged forward along with the rest of my body, and then pushed into a cart that sped through the streets of Palumpolum (for we were on a vacation that my father had planned) and off to an area where I had never been before.

It was a lengthy journey that took several days; the winding roads of the Gapra Whitewoods were the only things I saw after we exited Palumpolum. I did nothing but scream and kick at the rest of the passengers. My sister's name and questions of her whereabouts were the only things that could leave my lips. They would reassure me that everything was taken care of, and that Serah would be completely fine. Then my screams would grow to hauntingly loud tones and I would be threatened to be gagged. I would retort horribly vicious things to them that I should never have learned to say in spite of my age at that time. Many of the passengers were growing sick and tired of me as we journeyed onward, but didn't tell me so outright. They needed to be as cordial as they could as they transported me to wherever it was I was supposed to go. I couldn't stand for it; I needed to get to Serah.

At one point during our journey, I tried to escape the caravan in the dead of night. We were still trapped within the Gapra Whitewoods, but very close to its exit if I remember correctly. Everyone was outside of the cart so they could prepare dinner because it was supposed to be our last night within the woods. There was someone watching my every waking moment—they knew how badly I wanted to escape and so they set up a watch. I planned it hours beforehand, knowing that if I got everyone to focus on other tasks then this part would be no sweat, especially since the one who was watching me was more of a nitwit than anything else.

We talked for a long while about a range of topics: the people's lives before going to Palumpolum, their business for taking me, why they needed to be done with this task so quickly and of course Serah. I couldn't stop thinking about my sister and I needed to bring her up as often to remind myself that this all wasn't a dream. I couldn't bear to speak about my parents because every time I thought of them, the same image forced itself into my mind of the cart rolling over their bodies. Naturally, I even hated being in the caravan to begin with.

During our chat, I would give him little small comments just to test if I was any good at either negotiating or manipulation. Even at seven, I knew how to get what I wanted when I wanted it because I was a spoiled child, but definitely not rotten. My acquaintance who believed we were becoming close friends fell for the bait, and soon I had him believing this whole operation was wrong and that maybe he would be sold next. After all, I could only imagine where they were taking me to and from the looks of these people's faces…greed was the only thing keeping them alive.

I hated them with every fiber of my being at seven years old. I never thought I would be able to trust again.

So, I tried to slip out of the caravan. Explicitly stating how much I needed to go on the side of the road and that it was a very pressing need. If I didn't empty my bladder then the caravan would be doomed to the fate of hearing my bellows once more and possibly my bowels emptying as we journeyed. I watched him wince at the memory of my cries, and make a face as if he could smell to what I was referring and so he made an annoyed gesture for me to get out and conduct my business. Climbing out of the makeshift door and onto the dirt paved road, I looked up and did something that ultimately gave me away: I smiled. I wasn't able to realize my mistake until I had flounced away from the group who had not paid any mind and wandered into the woods.

After a few moments of exhilaration and happiness, I heard the shrill calls of the group as they ran into the forest after me. Quickly and with no hesitation, I started to run as fast as my seven year old legs would take me. My feet were stinging with cuts and bruises, for I had no shoes now, and my chest was heaving as I continued to run. I wouldn't stop until I got back to Palumpolum, back to where my sister was, back to where my parents died, and back to an area where I could finally get away from these criminals who took me away from everything I ever loved.

They didn't stop running after me even though I tried to hide behind the thickest of trees, and would be caught every single time, so I resigned myself to climbing. It was another drastic mistake on my part, because I lost my footing and started to slip. Despite my hard grip on the tree, my body was tired and I was panting. My capturers could hear my labored breaths and two of them caught me. They made grabs at my feet, trying to pull me down from the tree and after a few painstaking moments, they succeeded in making me fall down to the ground. I didn't hit the earth hard for I wasn't all that far from the ground due to my slow slipping.

I tried to lay on the ground for a few more minutes but they were lifting me up. I yelled and clawed at everything and anything I could get my hands on until I was dumped into the carriage once more and locked inside. My acquaintance sat in front of the door, glaring at me the entire night, and neither of us had dinner. He was punished for letting me escape, and I was punished for wanting my freedom. I fell asleep with bitter thoughts and tears pricking at my eyes, but I wasn't going to let them see me cry anymore. I was just going to have to try harder if I wanted my freedom.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any other opportunity for that as we hit the next city.

When the carriage finally stopped, my stomach lurched right along with it. There were nothing but buildings lining the perimeter, and they were so cramped together. I remember feeling like I was going to be sick right then and there from claustrophobia, until I was hoisted up and out of the carriage, wanting to take off running from these mad people but could only stand there amazed by the architecture. Everything shined splendidly in the bright light of the day. This place was Eden, the metropolis of Cocoon. My mother had met my father here, many years before she had me and Serah. She told us stories about this place, but I never thought I would ever see it with my own eyes. I was told of where we were among other things, but I chose to turn my attentions away from the people and to the buildings surrounding me.

My admiration didn't last long as I was suddenly tugged outside of the carriage and pushed toward a doorway. I fought against the hands as usual, but I was already inside with a plush carpet beneath my feet that I stared at with wonder before the proprietor of the establishment came to me. I tried to get out of the hold still as the swish of steps drew close and then stopped right in front of me. I did not realize that I was staring only at the floor and nothing around me. A hand was pressed under my chin and drew my gaze upwards. It was a kind face, nothing spectacular in its essence, but the smile that reached the woman's eyes gave me a monetary comfort.

"She is a little odd," she said as her fingers caressed under my chin and upwards towards my cheeks; she pushed a single strand of my cherry blossom colored hair away from my face. The intense inspection made me lash out at her, and let me break free from the holds on my arms.

"Where is my sister?" I cried, glaring at the woman peering down at me, the smile resembling a mother's never leaving her lips.

She didn't answer me directly, glancing behind me to the people who were in the cart with me and nodding. "I will take her. There is a spark in her that I can give her credit for. Hopefully she will be put to good use. It is not like I can give her back; it is already too late. Thank you for your patronage." Bowing slightly as the people left, she took my arm now and pulled me forward as she walked back.

Originally, we were in a small corridor, just inside of the building but it did not lead to anywhere else as there was another door right in front of us that was closed. When the people had fully vanished from her sight—as she was standing there with a hand pressed to the second door—she gave a small sigh of content and said to me without looking: "Welcome to the Eden Court. There is much to be learned here, and you will earn your keep. There is more beauty within these walls than there is within the outside, for we have a world of our own in here."

My mouth opened to question her words but they were caught in my throat as two doors slid open in my line of vision. Immediately all shades of reds, yellows, and deep purples assaulted my eyes, but I could not lie and say I was not stunned by its brilliance. I think that time I did not need any prompting to move through the doorway, but did so out of my own volition. My hands were now pressed together before me as I took in the sight, and there were so many people milling about in a tizzy. The frenzy of movement, the sounds of chatter as one spoke to another, and magnificent shades of colors made me excited, for what I could not say.

I didn't notice when the woman had stepped through the doorway, shutting it closed behind us as I watched on. She let me linger there for a few more moments before she touched my arm softly and nudged me in another direction. Again my mouth opened with questions and she tapped my lips. "Do not speak; I will speak for you at this present time. You may call me Nora-san. I have heard from a small bird about your situation, Claire-chan. As stated before we here at this home will take care of you as long as you learn and repay us. This is your home now as well, you cannot go back to the way things were."

Tears pricked at my eyes at her hard words flowing out of a light mouth. She spoke softly to me, easily reminding me of my mother whose comfort I desperately wanted. I might have been young, but even I understood that nothing would ever be the same again. Wanting to ask about to my sister again, Nora stopped me, pulling me in front of yet another door but bowing and urging me to do the same. Pressing a finger to her lips before calling out, I knew it was better to leave my questions for later and so I did as she silently requested: I bowed low and waited.

"Mother Etro, I have brought our newest girl. Merely seven but there is something within in her, come have a look-see. I am quite certain that she will become a great asset to the Eden Court." I wanted to look up, but my head hung low in my bow and my heart raced all the way downward to my ribcage. I was fairly certain that its aim was to burst out of me and spill everything and anything that it could, but I just tried to breathe as the door slid open with a ferocity of annoyance and there was another pair of feet right before me.

"She is pink." The words were clipped and sudden; my head still hung low.

"Youthful and eccentric, very different from the plain ones we have here in the home. Perhaps her eccentricity will bring in more customers, Mother Etro. Maybe she won't have to be as made-up as the others either." My eyes were closed, but the soft lilt in Nora's voice made me open them, turning my head slightly to the side to look at her. Even as she bowed the smile did not fade from her person.

My chin was jerked roughly upward without warning, and my hand flew to the arm that it was attached to. Nora's hand was at my back, soft and steady, urging me to rethink what I was doing and for some reason I cannot explain, even to myself, I yielded to her touch and let the other woman in front of me—Mother Etro, from what I had heard—scrutinize me in a similar fashion like Nora had done before, only she was not as gentle.

This woman had silver hair that swept down low and long, whereas Nora's was in a brilliant white up-do. Mother Etro's eyes were such a clear shade of color that I wondered if they were white as well, but a slight tint showed me that they were just a really pale blue. She frightened me and awed me at the same time for she was beautiful, even if she was a little old and possibly as cold as the depths of the sea. Nora's eyes were warm and a light green that reminded me of my mother's emerald necklace that she wore only days before my life had taken a turn for the bizarre. There was a slight pang in my chest as I recalled my mother smiling down at me and showing me her beautiful necklace.

There was a justification for comparing the three women, one of whom I had just lost only days prior to the meeting, and two who were supposed to be my new caretakers, but even so I just wanted to go back home and wish this all away. I had hoped that the past few days were a mere vivid dream that I would awake from, only to realize that it had become my reality. I wanted to cry again with thoughts passing through my mind as the older woman continued to burn her gaze into mine and then released me just as quick as she held me. I stumbled—almost falling down, but kept my ground and balled my fist ready to strike so she could feel my anger and pain as she turned her back toward us.

"Yes, there is a spark." She made a wave of her hands that Nora caught, and pulled me close to her. "She will do. Give her work. She'll learn in three months' time."

I didn't know what any of that meant, but I was pulled through the door by Nora as it shut before my eyes. Mother Etro went back to whatever it was that she had been doing in the first place while I was pushed and pulled along every corner of the house. I did not realize that where Mother Etro was, it was incredibly sullen. However, when we left that cornered area of the home, we were immersed in sights and sounds yet again. The cacophony was such a shock to me that I was certainly startled.

There were girls of all shapes and skin colors fluttering around us wearing so many different pieces of clothing, I wondered if they were costumes. Faces were painted in various ways, some so beautiful that it made the girls' faces mature or give them an extra_ something_ that made me stop in my tracks and stare; there were others that the makeup was promptly being taken off after it had ran and no longer mattered to the person it was on. These women I stared at too.

"This is the garden tier of the Eden Court. No one but those who live here are able to come inside and see this part of our world. Be thankful as there are no outsiders but the ones we bring in that are here to live and work beside us, beside you." The soft lilting voice of Nora filled my ears I continued to observe, and then nudged to another area—a corridor of similar fashion, but there were more doors than just a wide expanse in which people were passing by.

It was not as quiet as where Mother Etro was located, but neither was it as loud as the garden tier. There was a pitter patter of sounds, like steps coming from all sides where we were. Nora slipped right by me, walking out in front of me and leading this time around. We continued down the hall past all of the rows of doors on each side. Each one brimming with life inside and I wondered how many people lived here and what exactly their professions were. Stopping at the end of the hall, Nora slid open one of the doors and tilted her head, urging me to go inside.

I nodded, wandering in and finding two other girls with chopsticks in mid-air containing rice as they openly gaped at me. Immediately, I was on the defensive and tried to shrink back to Nora, but she closed the door and left me with the two girls. I banged on the door, yelling at Nora for abandoning me the second she saw fit. I only turned around when I heard one of the girls behind me giggling, and I leaned onto the door, pressing my back into it while tugging at the hem of my pale blue kimono; it was supposed to match my eye color—the last gift I ever got from my parents.

Cramming some of the food into their mouths, the girls patted the same space to the side of them in a silent request to come sit with them. There was nothing else for me to do but give into them. I was not shy in the least, but still I moved slowly and hesitantly. I did not know these girls, and soon all of the feelings that were welling up inside of me from the past few days finally broke through. As I shrank down beside them tears fell from my eyes, and they let me cry without a word of protest for a long time. Once my cries slowed down to soft sobs, they explained that doing such a thing again would be useless and unnecessary once I got the hang of things within Eden Court. I glared at them, immediately hating them for casually dismissing the sharp turn my life had taken without giving me any thought whatsoever—like I was nothing and no one.

"What are you? Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? Where is my sister?!" I looked at both of the girls, my eyes puffy and red from my previous breakdown. My words still came out breathlessly, hoping that air would pass through my lungs soon enough.

The girl on my right chuckled as she put some more food into her mouth before putting the bowl in front of me. The rice spilled out of her mouth and onto the table, making me contort my face into disgust, but my stomach growled audibly and so I had no choice but to eat what she gave me.

"I'm a girl, the same as you I think. I've been here long enough to see and feel that crying doesn't do me any good but a big fat whipping right across the back. And I think you don't want that do you?" She didn't wait to let me answer, but continued talking. "My name is Fang. The name was given to me by Mother Etro three days after I was sold here along with my cousin Vanille." She tilted her chin to the strawberry haired girl whose smile lit up her entire face. "I don't know where your sister is, but if she's not here then she could be anywhere in Eden. I don't suggest trying to look for her either, unless you do really like those whippings."

My eyes were downcast, and I gripped the hem of my kimono tighter. Serah could be anywhere in Eden…anywhere in Cocoon probably and I couldn't do anything about it. I felt the need to cry, but I was so tired that I couldn't produce anymore tears, and so I let my head fall right onto the table. There was a loud thump as I hit it, and I could hear Fang sigh beside me. A hand was placed on my head, as delicate fingers stroked my hair. It reminded me of my sister and another pang of heartbreak filled my every pore. I was getting tired of the pain.

"Are there many girls…sold here?" I asked, not lifting my head from the table, nor did I address the soft fingers that trailed through my hair. I would allow it for now; I craved to be soothed.

"Every girl that is here is sold to this house. We all work for this house; we work here to earn our place even if we don't like it. That's just how it is." I finally looked up again, sensing the bitter tone in Fang's voice at her response. I wondered just how long she and Vanille had been here, and how had their lives been before I was sold here. Would I suffer? I wanted to escape and look for Serah even more at that moment.

"Does Mother Etro give everyone a name?" I asked, changing the topic quickly because my sadness was growing even more by the second. With watching my parents die, having my sister taken away from me, and suddenly being sold by a bunch of greedy people…I needed to think about something, anything else. If I was going to live here now, I would have to learn about this place and its inhabitants—starting with Mother Etro and probably Nora would be a damn good start. These girls had experience, and I would utilize that to the best of my ability until I found a way to get out of this.

"Not everyone." It was Vanille that spoke up that time. "If she thinks your name is all well and beautiful, then she does not change it. But…sometimes people fight with her to change their name because it was who they were before coming here, not who they become. Nora-san said many have tried but she has not changed her thoughts. Mother Etro is the one that controls this house, because she is the one that owns it." She too put her plate in front of me, urging me to eat more as I "looked hungry" to her and Fang the second I was put into the room.

I barely shoveled a portion into my mouth before Fang asked, "So what's your name, girlie? We're going to be spending a lot of time together living in this room and doing all of our chores. Not to mention we all start lessons in three months' time. We arrived only a week ago." I blinked at her words. Only a week in this place and they acted as if they had a lifetime of experience. Perhaps things moved just as swift as the women in the garden tier of this place?

I swallowed audibly, letting the rice slide down into my stomach. "Claire. Are there…other houses like this one?" My question had more to do with my desire to find Serah again. If there were other ones like this one, then perhaps I would find her again someday soon. I could only hope and pray that she was completely unharmed and that I would see her again in the near future.

"Many. But, this is the most expensive as well as the biggest. This is the best Court in all of Cocoon. Only nobles and important figureheads come to our attentions. The girls here are the best of the best." Vanille stood up and moved away from the table, searching for something within the room. As soon as she found it, she grinned and turned to us before showing me a long scroll as Fang talked. Moving our bowls from the table and onto the floor, we spread the scroll and looked at the picture of a woman clad in a splendidly colored kimono; a true one filled with many layers and incredibly elaborate designs. Her hair done up in some of the same fashion the women in the garden tier donned on earlier. So many pins and hair accessories with atop her head, and I could tell she was beautiful before I looked at the face. Such a beautifully sculpted and painted one she had, and I absentmindedly licked my lips.

"She is a _tayu_. She is beautiful, smart, and lies in bed with men only if she allows it. Many of the girls here are what we're supposed to be in a few years. That's what we're supposed to be after our lessons, and women like these are what pay for the house. Pretty, huh?" I looked at Fang, realizing she was only about a year or so older than me, whereas Vanille seemed to be only a year younger than me. These two girls knew more about this world than I could and it was only a week of their stay. Would I be the same in only a week?

I scowled at the picture, seeing what my future would hold—a future that I didn't even want. Of course the woman in the picture was beautiful, and so were the women that I had seen earlier in the garden tier, but that…that wasn't what I wanted at all! I was about to start screaming, and Fang could tell for she tugged on my arm and put her hand across my mouth. "Don't. I know it's hard. I know it's not what we want, but this is our life now, Claire. Maybe when we're like this we can find a way to get out and you can see your sister again. Who knows, maybe she'll be like this too."

With an argument like that, I couldn't make a comeback. What if Serah was sold to a house much like this one? Maybe we would find each other again with our faces painted and wearing beautiful clothes? Would we even recognize each other then? I asked myself these questions as I stared at the picture. I couldn't fall into despair if I was ever going to see her again; I knew that in my heart I would find her, and I would recognize her because we were blood and that was much thicker than water. I would see Serah again, even if it killed me. I didn't scream, thanks to Fang's words. She had calmed me down before I could lash out again, and when I muttered a small thank you to which she laughed off.

"Trying to keep a cool head around here is hard. The first day we got here, we got so many whippings! I don't want anyone else to do the same. I'm guessing you're living in this room with us, so…" She stuck out her hand. "Let's be friends, okay?" Vanille nodded, a giant smile lighting her features.

Their cheerful dispositions reminded me so much of my little sister that I could only nod and take her hand. "Friends…" Trusting adults I couldn't handle, seeing as they only continued to make my life more and more miserable, but perhaps trusting two other girls who were thrust into a similar situation as me could work out, especially if they reminded me of my younger sibling who seemed to look up to me. Of course, there was the ache in my chest because there were so many things missing from my life in such a short amount of time—and no matter what they could not be replaced, but…I had to do something, and if I had to live and work in the Eden Court…

I would make sure that it would get me to my sister. I'm sure that my parents would want to see us together again.


	2. Chapter 2: Hard Lessons

Title: The Floating World

Rating: M

Series: Final Fantasy XIII/XIII-2

Summary: It is hard to be a fabulous courtesan; trained year after year in the arts of the elegant Eden Court. However, it is harder to fall in love with a supposed enemy in a similar profession in a world where love is not a priority but only a distraction.

Disclaimer: I do own a copy of the video game from which I borrowed the characters; but I do not own that concept. I also do not own the history that I decided to base this on. Imagine if I could own a piece of history that was not of my own life? Thrilling.

Notes: I am the worst, originally the first chapter was to be rewritten and posted with this chapter only two weeks after I had written the original. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I lost the documents so I had to redo everything all over again. So, now the first chapter was rewritten and taking into account the reviews I was given for the original; I agreed with a lot of things you guys suggested, so I did some of the changes. Of course, that also made it longer but…eh what can you do? So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and keep reading! Constructive critiques are definitely appreciated!

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Chapter Two: Hard Lessons

Just as everyone said, I would be earning my keep. The days became weeks and I felt more like a slave within the Eden Court than anything else. Chores were meant to be done all over the house which were but not limited to: sweeping, mopping, waxing the floors, looking after the kimonos for the other _tayu_, clearing beds, climbing through the other tiers to see who needed any help with their different forms of dress, and finding a way into the middle of any and all fights that occurred between any of the girls in the house. It was grueling work that Mother Etro and Nora put us through, and each day I could feel the ache in my muscles as they burned from all the strenuous activities.

However, despite all of the hard work, I learned how to navigate within the home alongside Fang and Vanille. It took me a few more weeks to warm up to them completely, and every time they asked about my family I would only shut down and stop talking for the remainder of the day. After more than a couple of times, they realized it was a very personal subject that they should not breech and stopped bringing it up lest I close up like a clam. I was thankful that they stopped, for I couldn't speak about the gruesome details of why I was sold to this house. It hurt…too much.

Each day as we were told to do this and that, I reminded myself why I was doing the work. I would earn my keep, search for Serah one of these days, and continually pray that she was safe and sound. Fang and Vanille cheered me on, and always tried to make light of the situation whenever they could. Sometimes we even snuck off to find each other in the middle of our chores, but then Nora would find us and the scoldings were much more brutal than any of the whippings for sure.

After a while of being in Eden Court, I came to feel at home and felt a sort of contentment by being there. That is to say that I wasn't always thrilled with the prospect of being kept there against my will while my sister was off to goodness knows where and I had no idea of finding her, but I was sort of happy with being taken under someone's wing and having others around me. Fang and Vanille were the two people that were able to save me from despair every time I had thoughts about wanting to run away or they would stop me from doing anything stupid. Fang would tell me horrific stories about their whippings, making sure that I would be thoroughly horrified so that way I wouldn't get any of them as well, but of course there was a small feeling of rebellion that would rise in my breast and I would want to fight, and scream, and cry…just to know how what it truly felt like.

I didn't get my first whipping until I unintentionally bumped into an _oiran_ within the Court. She was beautiful as she was vicious. Her tongue was crafty like a snake's and her pretty, pouty, perfect mouth was able to say all kinds of nasty, little things. Her name was Lindzei. She was Mother Etro's favorite at that time because she seemed to be the one making the most money from her endeavors. Always walking around with a tobacco pipe in her mouth, her kimono dragging all over the floor, and a trail of tears from any and all of the children who dared cross her path—I hated her with every fiber of my being.

As stated previously, I unintentionally bumped into Lindzei one day. I was carrying a heavy batch of kimonos that needed to be delivered straight away to Nora so that she could check over them. She was supposed to do an inventory and then figure out which one of the girls' she would give any of the kimonos to. Lindzei happened to be wandering in the same corridor while I was teetering and carrying these elaborate fabrics in my scrawny little arms. Tipping this way and that, and bumping onto the walls of each side, I wasn't able to see anyone who was coming my way. It was unfortunate that Lindzei was the one approaching me.

I smelled the bitter odor of tobacco, but thought nothing of it at first. It wasn't until I crashed right into Lindzei that her pipe along with the kimonos spilled onto the floor and made me realize that I was in a mass amount of trouble. The _oiran_ herself was on the floor before me and I scrambled to pick up the kimonos before they could become somewhat dirty. Of course, the floor was spotless but due to the fact that many girls were wandering around each and every day, Mother Etro and Nora considered it dirty and to have the kimonos strewn about on the floor in such a manner…well, they would consider them filthy as well and get mad at me for it being in such a state.

"You wretch…" I dared not look at her, for if I couldn't see her then surely she would not be able to harm me. Such childish thoughts gave me a monetary comfort that was until Lindzei picked herself off of the floor and gripped me by the back of my kimono and brought me up to her level. I had not realized that she was quite strong, and as I tried to get away from her grasp, I figured that it was of no use. That didn't stop me however, as the kimonos slipped out of my hands and I glared up at her.

"Let me go!" I cried, swinging this way and that, hoping she would release me and leave me alone.

She reached down to pick up her tobacco pipe, slip the tip into her mouth, and take a long drag of it before exhaling it right into my face. She seemed calm and composed afterward, but as I stared into her eyes I could tell that there was tornado raging within her and she was ready to do a colossal amount of damage. I gulped audibly, still glaring at her as if it could do something to her and then she laughed right in my face. "Let you go?" she questioned, as if it were the most preposterous thing she had ever heard of. Another laugh escaped her before taking one more long drag of her pipe, and clutching my kimono tighter than before.

I winced as her fingers dug into the junction between my neck and shoulder like vicious claws. I continued to thrash about to get away from her, especially because she was hurting me now. With all of her seniority in the home, nothing and no one was allowed to harm her or piss her off for that matter. "Yes, please. I am sorry for my…mistake." I told her that but the tone of my words was less than sorry, if they ever were at all.

She dropped me then and there, making me fall right on my bottom and I rubbed at the slight, stinging pain. I had no time to scramble away from her and pick up the kimonos as Lindzei slammed her foot right into my stomach. I was caught off guard by her brutality then, and a gasp escaped me until I wrapped my arms around my middle and coughed. I truly hadn't expected her to do that. "Tch. All they continue to bring are these filthy mongrels who know nothing of their place in this society." She poised her foot to kick me again, but then looked past me and snorted. "Nora-san, how glad of you to join us. This one here has made a grave mistake as you can see. She needs to be taught a lesson."

My eyes widened at her words and I picked myself up from the floor. "You can't be serious! You were the one who-!"

"Claire." I was silenced by Nora as she walked over to me calmly. She looked at Lindzei standing haughtily to the kimonos gracing the floor. The fabrics were surely claimed as dirty now and I glared down at the floor like it caused all of this. My hands balled into small fists and I knew I was going to be in so much trouble; if Lindzei wanted me to be punished then a simple lecture was not going to cut it. Even if none of this was truly my fault, even if Lindzei was just some cruel and sadistic _oiran_ within the compound…she still had seniority and was Mother Etro's favorite, even if she was a low pegged harlot who many came to instead of a desired courtesan like a _tayu_. Her words decided my fate.

"Well, Nora-san?" I glared at Lindzei again whose gaze was focused on our caretaker.

The elder sighed and touched my shoulder softly. I was definitely doomed. "I will deal with her accordingly. In any case, you have a customer to attend to soon. Do hurry along and complete your duties for a woman of your stature cannot justify turning someone down." I clamped my mouth shut because I wanted to laugh at Nora's words. It was true however. Lindzei was only an _oiran_, a woman who could only open her legs within special private quarters and could never turn down a client, unlike a _tayu_ who could do much more for entertainment than just simple pleasures of the flesh. However, I did not know that at the time, only that Nora had managed to insult Lindzei and could get away with it.

In any case, Lindzei huffed and walked past me and Nora. She was clearly unhappy with being told to carry on with her duties. I felt a sliver of triumph as she finally left us, and then I felt Nora's hand grow taut on my shoulder. I was still in a lot of trouble as Nora finally looked down at me.

"For many days I have not had to punish you. Even now, I wish that I did not but if I let you scamper around then I would not be doing my job correctly. Clare, you should know better than to anger Lindzei. She is one of the many who pay for the clothes on your back, the food in your bowls, and the lessons that you are to be attending soon. Why would you do anything to anger someone like that? It is better to stop acting like a spoilt child than to do so. Pick up the fabrics from the floor—they'll have to be thoroughly cleaned because of you—and follow me."

There was a flicker of disappointment in her eyes and I suddenly felt bad. Nora had been very kind to me and to everyone within the house. Even though I had an avid distaste and distrust for anyone older than me, especially those who were like Lindzei, I still had some sympathy when it came to Nora. I sighed as I gathered the kimonos, aiming to do it very slowly because I knew that I was in a heap of trouble. However, she could see through my guise and I heard her call to me much more sharply than I ever had. It made me scowl, and so I had to pick up the items much faster than before.

Once I was finished, I followed Nora and managed not to drop the kimonos all over again. We wandered through corridor after corridor until we came to halt before a sliding door. Nora kneeled on the floor before opening it and calling out to someone inside. A man came out and looked down at me as I held up the kimonos. He took them from me with a sad smile and I turned to Nora. Apparently, she didn't even have to say anything for he already knew the request and she stood up again. Without a word, she tugged at my sleeve and we left the man. I bit my lip as my punishment was going to be revealed to me very soon.

There was a knot in my stomach as we walked through another corridor and out into one of the gardens. There were several of them, and each one was more beautiful than the last. Various flowers and trees lined the perimeter, a fountain or two would grace the middle and wouldn't be incredibly huge but very modest. And almost always the water would pour out like musical notes. However, along with the beauty of the gardens, there was also a place for punishment as well. A pole near the fountains was dug deep into the earth so that we children could take retribution for our mistakes. Sometimes we would be chained to it, roped onto it, or we would have to hold it so we could keep ourselves upright during whippings.

My brows furrowed as Nora clutched my hand without a word and led me to the pole. She made me place both of my palms onto it, and if I dared move then I would be in even more trouble than I already was. Of course the urge to rebel was slipping through me and I very much wanted to remove my hands from the pole as she left me for a moment. However, the serious look on her face warned me not to and I merely faced the pole and gripped it tightly, wishing it could feel pain instead of me.

After a minute or so of listening to Nora shift about, I heard her voice from behind me. "I don't like to do this, but I have to." I rolled my eyes as every child would have done. No one likes to hear that kind of phrase, and at that time I had already known that I was going to be faced with some kind of punishment. I stilled myself for whatever she would throw at me, but the frightened and pained gasp that left my lips as she brought down a bamboo stick across my back made me think twice about everything I felt like I knew.

I tried not to cry or shout as I gripped onto the pole. My head hit it a few times as the pain suddenly became too much to bear as Nora hit the same exact spot one too many times. I lost count of the amount of lashes she whipped across my back; an ache that was laced with more pain every single time made my legs quiver and she would yell at me to keep myself upright. My mind kept reeling with thoughts of anger and hatred for every single adult I had come in contact with since I was sold to the Eden Court. From the greedy little bastards who sold me to Mother Etro and Nora who enslaved me, especially towards Lindzei and the other _oiran_ and _tayu_ who I had to work under within the home; I hated them all like never before as the bamboo stick created hard cuts across my small back.

If Nora had told me to shed the kimono then the pain would have been even greater, so I was told once my punishment was finally over. However, the cuts across my back had become a festering open wound because of Nora's accurate strikes. Blood had drenched through my clothing, and once my harsh whipping was over, my legs gave out and I slipped from the pole. Laid on the floor with my face pressed against it; shaking, tears falling down my face, and quiet sobs raking my body along with the stinging pain, I even felt thoroughly humiliated as Nora moved about to throw away the stick and sigh like a heavy burden had been placed upon her shoulders.

Hours later, I was cleansed by the same woman who had whipped me. She gave me chilling bath as I continued to shake and would not say anything to her nor would I look at her. I felt utterly betrayed by the one adult that I had grown to tolerating, and the unbearable hatred I had for every adult nagged at me. Numbly, I let her wash me for I felt like I could not do it myself. That was the first but not the last time I had ever gotten a whipping, but it was the most degrading one I ever experienced.

When cool ointment was placed upon my wound, I flinched and tried to run away but Nora would have none of it. I had no idea just how strong she was especially compared to someone so young like myself at that time, but she held me down and just continued to go through the motions. It felt like an eternity that I was kept by her, and once I was finally redressed with a new kimono and brought into the room I shared with Vanille and Fang, I reaffirmed my desire to leave the Eden Court…and maybe even make them pay.

My roommates had already known what had happened without asking me. They patted the space between them at the table just like our first meeting. Vanille pulled me into an embrace; she put my head on her shoulder and let her hands run through my hair much like Fang had done once before. I couldn't even muster any tears despite feeling as if I wanted to cry; the betrayal had seeped into me and a rush of anger coursed through me.

"I told you." Fang muttered, and I glared at her. She sighed as she looked at me and Vanille before shrugging. "This is why I actively try and avoid her. She's always been the nastiest, and she was the reason for me and Vanille getting hurt before. The first _oiran_ to greet us was her, and she was even going to take either of us or both of us under her wing. However, seeing as we're going to take those classes because of Mother Etro, she can't do anything about it. If we fail…that's a different story."

Confused at Fang's words, I moved away from Vanille. "What do you mean? Take you guys under her wing?"

"Whether we become _oiran_ or_ tayu_ or even regular prostitutes depends on the training we receive. If we go through the training completely then we can be nominated as candidates as _tayu_…or at least that was what the other girls who are training told us. If we fail and someone thinks we would still look good in pretty kimonos then we can be trained by an _oiran_ and have that kind of job instead…but if no one wants us then we get placed into the regular old house and can be turned onto the street. No one to care for us and no one to do anything for us."

I blinked at Vanille, suddenly filled with hope. "But if we're turned out into the street like that, won't we be free?"

She shook her head. "Not at all; it just means we're going to die without anything to our name. We're not even people I think, just stones on the road of Eden. After all, we wouldn't have any money to go anywhere so how can we be free?"

And just like that, my flicker of hope was extinguished. I winced as I tried to sit up fully, and the pain across my back stung all the way up my spine. None of us in this house had wished for this life, and when it came down to what kind of a use we would be in the long run decided whether or not we would be able to still live here and work here or if we were going to be tossed out. I grit my teeth and took in the information. Still, I continued to wonder…"How is it that you guys know all this stuff? You haven't been here all that long. And we still haven't even started those classes yet."

"Unlike you Claire, we talk to others around here and try to learn as much as possible. You barely even look at anyone who passes you by. You've got to try and be a little nicer you know. Looking like that isn't going to help you get through it." Fang responded as she leaned back onto a cushion. She always looked so relaxed, then again even years later she continued to seem to down to earth even as things were quite rough on us. I envied her a little, and perhaps I still do somewhat. Any malice she had, she kept within herself and never showed it to others unlike myself.

Vanille's cushion suddenly went flying and I was able to duck, but another rush of pain swamped my body. I watched as it hit Fang dead in the face, and as amused as I was, I didn't really laugh. "Don't act as if you're so much older and know a lot more." She puffed out her cheeks and clamped her hands into fists. "But…I guess I can give you that we do try and talk to everyone around us. She is right, Claire you do have to open your heart to people some more. You can't always be like that to everyone. You don't have to like them, I think…but you did have to um…well, you have to talk to people and find things out! We're all trying to work it out together. Well those of us who are still starting out here anyway."

Fang threw the cushion back at her, managing to hit Vanille in the chest. "Wasn't that the same thing I just said?! Jeez, never listen to me." She sighed again and looked at me directly. "Look, none of us like being here that's the truth and we all wanna get out of here, but it's not like we can do that on our own. So, we need extra help from everyone here. How are you gonna find your sister if you don't know anything about this place? Remember that you tried to make a run for it before and we stopped you before Nora or Mother Etro found out. If you hurt yourself you would have gotten an even worse whipping than you did today."

"Ah, she's right. You could have even hurt yourself back then and we wouldn't be staying in the same room either. She'd probably have thought we were in it together and punished us all by placing us in different rooms." Vanille stated as she nodded.

I thought about the three of us being pushed into separate rooms; that would mean that I would have to speak with more people than I felt comfortable with, and I really didn't want to do that at that age. I had a hard time being coaxed into a true friendship with Fang and Vanille after all those weeks. Even though I had said I would be friends with them that first day, I was wary and didn't really speak to them until a few more weeks passed. They got me to open up slowly, but even during the conversation then, I wouldn't tell them everything—they were the open books, not me.

Even after many years, I still wasn't an open book.

"In any case," Fang drawled on, "we're here to stay for now and so we've got to work hard. Eventually you'll find your sister and maybe we can get outta here." I blinked in confusion…the way she said that implied that escaping wasn't the only way out of Eden Court. Fang grinned and sat up again. "When you become a _tayu_ or even an _oiran_ you can either be bought off or you can buy yourself outta here. I heard one of the older _tayu_ talking about it one day. It hasn't happened in a long time though…but I plan on it when we're a little more grown up. Think about it, a few years here and we can just buy ourselves outta this place with a clean slate. You'd even have money to find this sis of yours."

My mouth twitched upward in a small smile as I thought about it. Fang was right, if I even escaped Eden Court, I wouldn't have had money to use to find Serah and get me anywhere. It was a hopeless case, but if I was a little bit more grown up with money to spare, then I could do whatever I wanted. I just had to bear with this life just a little longer. Hope filled my heart again at Fang's words, but a thought stopped my happiness before it enveloped me completely.

"What would you get out of it? Three of us can't be released or bought off at one time, right? That just doesn't happen."

Fang huffed. "We could make it happen. We could be the best and get ourselves outta here, or do you not wanna do that?" I realized I struck a nerve and made her angry. However, I still pressed on with the issue to which she answered me gruffly, "Look, I plan on getting me and Vanille outta here no matter what. I know that if we try and leave here without any real thought we're done for. Believe me, I tried it. You think you're the only one who wants out? You might have a reason to go back outside but so do we. I'm not gonna live here forever if I can do something about it."

Without anything else, Fang moved away from the table and moved over to her futon. She climbed inside of it, wrapping herself in the blankets and tried to sleep. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't muster up any words. I had no idea why Fang was so adamant to get out of the Eden Court. Was there something else about this place that she knew that I didn't? Or maybe it had to do with their life prior to coming here. I looked over at Vanille but she merely shook her head and moved over to the lamp we had. It was already night at that time, and soon someone would come over to tell us that it was time to sleep. With one more glance at me, Vanille turned out the light and moved over to her own futon so she would rest.

I sat at the table for a long while afterward, the sounds of someone stopping at our room and seeing the light off signaled to me that it was indeed time to sleep. However, they didn't come into the room because the light was completely off. My mind was filled with so many thoughts about the Eden Court, Fang and Vanille, Serah, Nora and Mother Etro, that I couldn't even think about sleep. Not to mention that when I finally did move over to my futon to lie down, I could not lay on my back because of the pain from the punishment earlier that day. I pressed my face into the pillow to drown out my sighs and whimpers, wishing that I was many years older already and could finally escape to have another life…or at least for everything to be a dream that I was going to wake up from.

But no matter what, this had become my reality and I would have to deal with it for many years to come.

I slept that night with a lot of pain fluttering through my body and would wake every time I moved onto my back. It would rip me away from a pleasant dream and before I could scream, I placed my hand over my mouth and turned over onto my back. I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to become a _tayu_ or an _oiran_ so that I could have everything. I still didn't know what all of that had entailed, but it was no matter for I would find out soon enough. A few more weeks would pass and I would join the ranks of those in training; I was still a servant in the Eden Court and would still have to do chores along with the others, but not as many chores for Fang, Vanille, and I would have to wake extra early and run to classes.

The only time we were let out of the Eden Court was to take those classes, and they were located within the city but at a distance from our home. The classes were held inside of a noble mansion called Nautilus, where there were several tiers for various lessons. Apparently, the classes that were held within are for many different stations and other courtesan houses within the city of Eden. In any case, our competitors were mixed into our classes so that we would see what kind of potential every candidate had and try to outshine the other. Because of the Eden Court's high status—especially being named after the city—me, Fang, Vanille, and a few other girls were expected to outshine everyone. We already had an amazing amount of pressure put onto us on our first lesson.

No matter what, we had to grit our teeth and bare it if we were going to be candidates and become what it was that we needed to be so we could escape this world forever.


End file.
